Steelers Fans Get Somewhat Surprising Update On One Of Pittsburgh's Top Position Battles For 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been an interesting team to follow throughout the 2025 offseason. There have been plenty of moves made in an effort to upgrade the roster, as fans already saw the organization trade away George Pickens after bringing in DK Metcalf earlier in the offseason. The quarterback position was also discussed heavily as the entire room got turned over for the second season in a row, but Aaron Rodgers did sign with the franchise to be the starter for the 2025 season. There are some other positions that will be under a microscope, including spots throughout the secondary.

A spot fans will be paying close attention to in the secondary is at slot corner. The player on the roster who played the most there during the 2024 season is Beanie Bishop Jr., but his playing time decreased throughout the year as Cam Sutton bounced back from his suspension. Bishop is competing for the starting slot cornerback spot, and fans thought free agent addition Brandin Echols would be as well. Pittsburgh signed Echols this offseason, and he is known for his versatility throughout the secondary and on special teams. According to team insider Mark Kaboly on a recent episode of Kaboly & Mack, it doesn't seem like there is much of a competition at slot cornerback. 

"Brandin Echols, he can play outside," Kaboly said. "He played all outside during minicamp. I don't know if they're gonna flip that back in."

It is important to note that this was an observation made during minicamp, which isn't always the best reflection of what the team is going to look like heading into the regular season. Echols could easily get work in at slot cornerback throughout training camp and win the job. Just because he was solely working at outside cornerback doesn't mean he is being ruled out in the slot.

Bishop played fairly decent during his rookie season in 2024, although there were games where he was obviously being picked on by opposing offenses. Now that he has some more experience under his belt, and he has improved physically, he could have a good hold on the starting job. However, that would be pretty hard to believe for most fans, especially since Echols has three more years of experience.

There is also the chance that the Steelers never wanted to play Echols at slot cornerback when the organization signed him. He could have just been added as a depth piece on the outside, and as a guy that can contribute on special teams. He is an upgrade in terms of depth at outside cornerback compared to what the team had during the 2024 season, and that could be the main reason he was brought into Pittsburgh.

Steelers Could Have Other Options At Slot Cornerback

In addition to Bishop and Echols, Pittsburgh could have some other options at slot cornerback from both within the organization and on the outside. The organization just drafted Donte Kent in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he has some experience playing in the slot during his college career. Another intriguing internal option would be undrafted rookie free agent Sebastian Castro, who played safety at Iowa.

The organization bringing someone else into the fold is where things get interesting. A guy like Jalen Ramsey is still available on the trade market, and if he were to be acquired by Pittsburgh, he would likely play on the outside -- but he's also familiar with the slot. Projected starters on the outside for 2025, Joey Porter Jr. and Darius Slay, wouldn't likely see much time in the slot this upcoming season, but having a player like Ramsey could open up the team's options.

A lot can happen before the regular season gets underway and the depth chart will start to become more clear. However, for now, Bishop seems to have a firm lead on the starting job at slot cornerback.

What do you think about the competition at slot corner? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation